Magazine vending machine



Sept. 12, 1933. F. A. ELDEAN 11,926,436

HAGAZ INE VENDING MACHINE Filed March 18, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR HIS ATTORNEYS Sept. 12, 1933.

F. A. ELDEAN IAGAZINE VENDING MACHINE Filed March 18, 1932 3 Sheets-'Sheet 2 4'..

i 3f INVENTOR 36 g e gi H l ATTORNEYS 1932 3 Sheet -Sheet 3 90 lNvl-:NOR

Hrs ATTORNEYS Y BY ma@ 1u-:F 1s.

Illini/knuffl! l F. A. ELDEAN MAGAZINE VENDINGIACHINE Filed March 1 8 Sept. l2, 1933.

Patented Sept. 12, 1933 UNITED STATES MAGAzINE VENDING MAoHiNii Fred A. Eldean, New York, N. Y., te C. Russell Feldmann Application March 18, 19.52. Serial No. 599,6'l5 claims. (ci. en -56) This invention machines of the trolled type.

in object of the invention is to provide an improved machine of the character mentioned which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, reliable in operation and which oiers certain advantages from a servicing or maintenance standpoint as will hereinafter clearly To the above ends, the invention contemplates a housing adapted for the reception oi a magazine receptacle, which is so connected to the housing as to permit it to be easily Withdraw-1 1 therefrom to a sufficient extent to enable it to be tilted at such an angle as will permit the magazines to be readily introduced into the receptacle, after which such receptacle is slid back into the hous- C ing Where the magazines are so held, under the influence of a pressure device, as to permit them to 'ce ejected one by one, through a suitable opening in the bottoni of the magazine receptacle, by a inanually--operated coin-controlled ejector ,.5 i'nechanism carried by a vertically slidable retaini plate, which forms a part of the housing and is adapted to so cooperate with the front wall of the magazine receptacle as to retain such receptacle against undue displacement within the housingVV and which is provided with a lock, whereby the retaining plate may be heldv in a cooperative relation to the front Wall of the magazine receptacle to prevent one from `obtaining 'unauthorized access to the money receptacle of the coin-controlled ejector mechanism and to the contents oi the magazine receptacle.

1n the drawings-vv l is a iront viertv oi a vending machine caribe-dying invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional View taken on line 2--2 of 1;

. 3 is a side view of the machine Ywith the to filling posirelates to magazine vending manually-operated coin-'conmagazine receptacle Withdrawn tion;

fi is an enlarged ragmental View taken on line 4---4 oi 2 and showing particularly the coin-control mechanism; l

5 is a iraginental sectional vievv taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a ragmental view showing in front elevation the coin-controlled releasing device for the magazine ejecting plunger;

Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional view taken on lined-7 of Fig. 4;

8 is a horizontal sectional View taken on line 8- -8 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 9 is a horizontal sectional View taken `o line 9--9 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 10 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line iii-10 of Fig. 2; l

Fig. 11 is a 'vertical sectional View taken on line 11-11 of Fig. 4 and showing in detail an adjustable slide for varyinggthe width of the opening .through which the magazinesv are successively ejected and showing in detail a ciosure for such opening;

lFig. 12 is a fragr. ental View showing means for mounting a glass window in one side wall of the housing through which an observation may be made to determine the number of magazines remaining in the magazine receptacle;

Fig. 13 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 13--13 ci Fig. '1l andV showing means hy which the adjustable slide, for varying the width i the opening through which the magazines are ejected, may be slidahly connected tothe bottom wall of the magazine receptacie;'

Fig. 14 is a vertical sectional View taken on line 14--14 oi" Fig. 11 andl showing in detail means by which the magazine receptacie slidably and ivotally connected tothe housing;

lFig. 15 is a view, partly in section and partly which are connected, respectively, to opposite sides of the magazine receptacle and forin'part of the means for slida'oly and pivotally connecting the magazine receptacle to the housing;

Fig. 16 is a view similar to thaty oi Fig. ll and showing` a modied form of closure for the slot through which the magazines .are successively ejected; and

Fig. 17 is a horizontal sectional View taken on line 17-17 of Fig. 16.

The vending machine herein shown as embodying the invention includes a housing 10, the upper portion of the respective side Walls of which are provided at their forward margins with outwardly projecting wings or ribs lleach of which is of a length equal to substantially one-third the eight of the housing". These lribs 'or Wings are coniined within channel-like portions l?, formed at the opposite side margins of a retaining plate 14, and servein connection with such channellike portions to slidably connect the retaining plate to the front of the housing so as to enable it to be moved vertically, as and for the purpose hereinafter more particularly described. The retaining plate may be provided on its outer face with a mirror 15, or it may, as will be readily understood, be provided with advertising or such other descriptive matter as may be desired. In order that the retaining plate 14 may be secured in its lowermost position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a suitable lock 16 may be provided, which is shown as carried by the retaining plate and as accessible from the iront thereoi.

Secured to the retaining plate 14 on the inner wall thereof, lis a coin-control mechanism 18, to which coins may be supplied by way of a coin slot 20 formed in the retaining plate. This coincontrol mechanism is of standard design, and because of such it isy deemed unnecessary todescribe the same in greater detail than is necessary to set. forth its peculiar relation, from a structural and a functional standpoint, to the various other elements entering into the combination embodied in the vending machine herein disclosed. Generally speaking, the coin-control mechanism includes a coin chute 21, into which coins may be introduced by way of the coin slot 20 and from which such coins are deposited in a coin receptacle 24, Vaccess to which may be had by way of a pair oi normally closed downwardly movable trap doors 25, which are pivotally connected to the coin receptacle and are held closed, as shown in Fig. 4, by tension springs 26. The coins, in passing from the coin chute 21 to the coin receptacle 24, are obstructed in their travel'and come to rest, as indicated by the position of the obstructed coin .29 outlined by the dotted line in Fig. 4, in an oir-center relation to a downwardly movable coin-engaging nger 27, carried by a vertically movable T- shaped ejector plunger 28 which includes a head portion 30 and is slidably mounted in a pair of guides 30, secured to the retaining plate 14. To the ejector plunger, is secured a handle 32 which projects through a slot 32', formed in the retaining plate 14, and which is provided at one oi' its vertical'side margins with a plurality of teeth 33, adapted to cooperate with a restraining dog 34, of the usual pivoted type, so as to prevent the ejector plunger, once the ejecting operation has .been initiated, from returning to its normal position, under the influence of its associated spring 35, until such time as the plunger has been moved to its lowermost position.

The obstructed coin, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, in passing from the coin chute 21 to the coin receptacle 24 is temporarily held in a position to be engaged at the leto its verticalr center line, as viewed in Fig. 4, by the coin-engaging finger 27, and in this position the coin is supported by reason of the fact that it engages the lower edge of the coin chute and is in contact with the lower end of a pivotally supported release-iinger 36, which projectsthrough a slot 24 formed in the upper wall oi the coin receptacle 24. This release-linger is held in its normal position, shown in Figs. 4 and 6, by a pressure spring 37 and carries at its lower end a pair of guide Wings 38, the outer ends of which kdiverge so as to insure entrance of the coin therebetween as it assumes its position of rest preparatory to the ejecting operation of the plunger 28.` The releasenger 36, as shown most clearly in Fig. 5, is U- shaped and'its outer leg, namely, the leg that is located wholly outside of the coin receptacle 24, is provided with a latch 40, Fig. 6, which is adapted to be moved to the right, when the releasenger 36 is moved against the action of the spring 37, the latch being normally positioned in the path of and adapted to engage a shoulder 41, formed in the adjacent vertical margin or the ejector plunger, whereby such plunger is normally, that is, in the absence of a coin, prevented from moving downwardly except for a relatively short distance. In the presence, however, of a temporarily supported coin, the ejector plunger 28 is free to move in an unobstructed manner, because the initial downward movement of the plunger, such as would be permitted due to the normally spaced relation of the latch 40 to the shoulder 41, is sufficient to cause the coin-engaging ringer 27 to engage the coin and force it to the right, as viewed in Fig. 4, thereby swinging the release-ringer 36 a sufficient distance about its pivot to cause the latch 40 to move out of the path of the shoulder 41 before that shoulder can engage the latch. As the ejector plunger continues its downward movement, the coin is forced further to the right until suiiicient clearance is aiiorded between the coin-engaging linger 27 and the release-ringer 35 to permit the coin to clear or the lower end of the release-ringer and drop into the coin receptacle 24, by which time theshoulder 41 will have moved well past the latch 4c. Upon release of the coin, that is to say the instant the coin moves past the lower end of the release-finger 36, the spring 37 tends to return the latch toits normal position, but the latch cannot then assume its normal position, because of its engagement with the side of the ejector plunger above the shoulder 41. Upon return, however, of the ejector plunger 28 to its normal position, the latch 4G is moved under the action of the spring 37 to its position shown in Fig. 6, in which position it serves, in the absence or" a coin positioned as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 4, to loci; the plunger 28 against other than a slight downward movement which is insufficient Vto eiiect magazine displacement.

The magazines to be dispensed, of which several are shown in Figs. 2 and 5 and are there indicated by the numeral 42, are supported within a magavice 46. This pressure' device comprises a pressure plate 47, to which are suitably connected a plurality Vof compression springs 48, which are connected to a spring-retaining plate 50, secured to the inner wall of the housing 10 at the rear thereof. understood that the magazines may be readily placed in the magazine receptacle 44 when it is withdrawn from the housing and tilted to nliing position. It will also be understood from Fig. 3, especially when considered in connection with Fig. 2, that as the magazine receptacle, pursuant to its being supplied with magazines, is moved back into the housing 10, the pressure plate 47 engages the rearmost magazine and thereafter, by reason of the compression springs 48, exerts a pressure on the magazines which is utilized to retain them in a vertical face-to-face relation and to move them forward as they are dispensed one by one in the manner hereinafter more particularly described.

From an inspection of Fig. 3, it will be Idir) The magazine receptacle 44 is pivotally and slidably connected to the housing 10 by a rod 52, formed in guides 54, secured to opposite sides of the housing l0. In order to permit the magai zine receptacle 44 to be wholly removed ordetached from the housing 10, the guides 54 are provided with notches 55, which communicate with the respective slots intermediate their vopposite ends and are sufliciently wide to accommodate the opposite ends of therod 51, it being understood that these slots may be utilized to facilitate expeditious assembling as well as dis-assembling of the magazine receptacle with respect to the housing, whether in the factory or in the iield of operation. The guides 54 are provided with detents 56, formed adjacent the rear of the respective slots 53, within which detents the transverse rod 51 normally rests. These detents, when considered in connection withthe retaining plate 14, function eiiectively to retain the magazine receptacle 44 against removal from the housing, it being noted in this connection that the retaining plate 14 is so constructed that the lower margin thereof embraces the upper margin of the front Wall of the magazine and engages a horizontal rib 58 formed in the front wall relatively near the upper edge thereof. By reason ofthe fact that the transverse rod 51 rests in the detents 56, when the magazine receptacle is in its normal position within the housing 10, and because of the .embracing relation of the retaining plate 14 to the front wall of the magazine receptacle and its engagement with the rib 58 of that wall, it is apparent that, when the retaining plate is locked in its position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the magazine receptacle will be effectively held within the housing and there retained against undue displacement.

`Inasmuch as different issues of magazines vary in thickness, it is desirable to accordingly vary the width of the dispensing opening 60, provided in the bottom of the magazine receptacle, through which opening the magazines are ejected or dispensed one' by one, and to this end the bottom wall 61 of the receptacle is provided with a laterally shiftable adjusting or gage plate 62. This plate is provided with a pluralityof bosses 64, which project through openings 65 formed in the bottom wall 61 of the magazine receptacle, the bosses being provided with retaining plates 66, which overlie the margins of the openings and thereby prevent removal of the plate from the bottom of the receptacle without obstructing lateral movementof the same toward or away from the front wall of the magazine to vary the Width of the dispensing opening 60. The gage plate 62 may be locked in a desired position of adjustment by any suitable means, such as a'wing nut 6'7, carried by a bolt 68, which is carried by the bottom wall 61 of the magazine receptacle and projects through a slot 'I0 formed in the gage plate.

In order to prevent undue displacement of the magazines, particular reference being had to the front magazine, after filling the magazine receptacle 44 and prior to such time as the magazine receptacle is introduced into. the housing, a closure '71 is provided for the dispensing opening 60. This closure 71 is in the form of a plate, the forward margin of which normally obstructs the dispensing opening and the rear portion of which is provided with a pair of ears '72, which are pivotally connected to the side walls of the magazine receptacle. Secured to the rear margin of the closure 71, are a plurality of angle members 74, which project downwardly through openings 75 formed in a transversely disposed angle bar 76, the arms 77 and 78 of which cooperate with the angle members '74 toprevent undue movement of the closure v'71 in opposite directions, respectively, under various conditions that may arise other than those incident to the dispensing operation. The closure 71 is normally held in its closed position, and is returned to that position pursuant'to the dispensing operation, by aplurality of springs 80, secured lto the bottom wall 6l of the magazine receptacle and adapted to engagethe closure at points directly beneath the axis of its pivotal connection with the side walls of the magazine receptacle.

After the last magazine has been ejected from the magazine receptacle, it is desirable to guard against the introduction of further coins into the coin-control mechanism, and to this end a lockout device is provided which includes a vertically movable bar 81, slidably connected to the inner wall of the retaining plate 14 by a yoke plate 82, the lower end of the bar being adapted vto engage and normally rest on the upper edge of the foremost magazine, whereby its shutter extension 84 is held up out of obstructing position with respect to the coin slot 20Yand with respect to the entrance ofthe coin chute21. As the last magazine is being ejected from the magazinereceptacle, the coin lock-outV device will move by gravity to coin-obstructing position and Will thereafter definitely maintain such lposition in the absence of further magazines to be dispensed.

In order to enable one to'readily determine, by observation, 'whether or not the magazine receptacle 44 is in immediate need of anew supply of magazines, one of the side Walls .of the housing 10 is provided with a suitable window 49, which, when the ymagazine receptacle is housed within the housing 10 as shown in Fig. 2, registers vwith an opening 59 formed in one of the side walls of the magazine receptacle relatively near the front thereof.

Assuming that the machine is conditioned for operation, as shown in Fig. 2, the coin-control mechanism 18, upon the receipt of a coin which assumes the temporary position indicated in Fig. 4, becomes effective, upon a lslight downward movement cf the operating handle 32, to move the latch 40 out of the path of the shoulder 41 formed on the ejector plunger 28. Uponvmovement of the latch to an unobstructing position with respect to the plunger28, such plunger is free to continue in its downward movement, whereby the foremost magazine, with which the head 31 of the plunger engages, is moved down Wardly with respect tothe remaining magazines and is projected through the dispensing opening 60 a sufficient distance'to enable the customer to grasp its lower margin and withdraw it from the machine. After the plunger has been moved downwardly to its maximum extent, the restraining dog 34-assumes such a position with respect to the teeth 33 ofthe plunger 28 as will permit the plunger to return ,to its normal position under the action of the spring 35, the coin having been moved in the meantime from itstemporary position of rest. into the coin receptacle 24 and out of the path of the next coin to be introduced preparatory to the next dispensing operation. As the magazines are ejected one by one, under control of the coin-control device 18, the remaining magazines are moved forward within the magazine receptacle by the pressure device 46, so that the successive magazines, as considered from left to right in Fig. 2, assume dispensing positions in that order, the foremost magazines being normally maintained in intimate contact with the inner Wall of the glass panel 45 through which its coverpage is displayed.

As a modified form of closure for the dispensing opening 60, a roller 85, F'igs. 16 and 17, may be employed. This roller is journalled at the opposite ends to horizontally movable bearing blocks-86, which are suitably supported, as between the arms of a pair of U-shaped guides 87 secured to the side walls of the magazine receptacle, and are urged toward the left,l as viewed in Figs. 16 and 17, by a pair ofcompression springs 88, surrounding a pair of stems 90, which are connected to the bearing blocks and project through the connecting portions of the yokes, between which and the bearing blocks are interposed the compression springs. Forward movement of the bearing blocks may be limited by a pair of bosses 91, which are provided at opposite. ends of the roller and are adapted to engage the front wall of a pair of slots 92 formed in opposite sides of the magazine receptacle. As to the roller 85, itis to be noted that the space afforded between it and theinner surface of the glass panel 45 should` be normally such as to prevent accidental displacement of the magazines, particular reference being had to the foremost magazine, pursuant to the lling operation and prior to such time as the magazine receptacle isintroduced into the housing 1U.

. From the description of this modified form of closure, it will be understood that its operation is generally the same as that of the closure '71 in that it is permitted to move or yield in response to the 'downward displacement of a magazine being ejected andin that itis adapted to return to magazine-obstructing position upon completion of the dispensing operation.`

v It will be understood that various other changes and modications, other than those herein disclosed, may` be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is: f

l. In a magazinevending machine, a housing, a magazine receptacle therein adapted for the reception of a plurality of magazines to be held vertically and in a face-to-face relation, said receptacle being pivotally and slidably connected to saidv housing whereby it may be slid out of said housing and thereafter tiltedto lling position, a retaining plate slidably connected to said housing and adapted to be moved into an obstructing position with respect to the upper and front portion of said magazine receptacle to normally retain such receptaclewithin said housing.

2. In a magazine vending machine, a housing, a magazine receptacle normally housed within said housing and adapted for thereception of a plurality of magazines to be held vertically and in a face-to-face relation, said receptacle being provided at its lower end with Aa dispensing opening and being pivotally and slidably connected to said housing whereby` it may-be slid out of said housing and thereafter tilted to lling position, a retaining plate slidably connected to said housing and adapted to be moved into an obstructing position with respect to the upper and front portion of said magazine receptacle to normally retain such receptacle within said housing, and ejector means carried by said retaining plate and adapted to displace the foremost magazine by way of said dispensing opening.

3. In a magazine vending machine, a housing, a magazine receptacle therein adapted for the reception of aplurality of magazines to be held vertically and in a face-to-face relation, said receptacle being pivotally and slidably connected tov said housing whereby it may be slid out of said housing and thereafter tilted to filling position, means for normally retaining said receptacle within said housing, and a pressure device associated with said housing and with respect to which said receptacle may be moved as it is slid out of said housing and thereafter tilted to filling position, said pressure device being adapted to engage the rearmost of the magazines as said receptacle is returned to its normal position and thereafter retain ksuch magazines vertically and in a face-to-face relation.

4. In a magazine vending machine, a housing, a magazine receptacle therein adapted for the reception of a plurality of magazines to be held vertically and in a face-to-face relation, and connecting nie-ans pivotally and slidably connecting said receptacle tol said housing whereby said receptacle may be slid out of said housing and thereafter tilted to filling position, said connecting means including a pair of slotted guides secured to theinnerwall of said housing at opposite sides thereof and a rod extending transverselyof said receptacle and projecting at opposite ends through the side walls thereof and into the slots of said guides, said guides being provided with notches oommunicating with the slots and serving as passages by Way of which opposite ends of said rod may be lifted from the slotsof said guides to facilitate complete removal of said receptacle from said housing.

- 5. In a magazine vending machine, a housing, a` magazine receptacle therein adapted for the reception of a plurality of magazines to be held vertically and in a face-to-face relation, connecting means pivotally and slidably connecting said receptacle to said housing whereby said receptacle may be slid outof said housing and thereafter tilted to filling position, said connecting means including a pair of slotted guides secured to the inner wall of said housing at opposite sidesthereof and a rod extending transversely of' said receptacle and projecting at opposite ends through the side walls thereof and into the slots of -said guides, said guides being provided with detents adapted to receive said rod and cooperate therewith to retain said receptacle normally against sliding movement, and retaining means carried by said housing and adapted to engage the upper and front portion of said receptacle and thereby augment the retaining effect of said notches and said rod on said receptacle.

FRED A. ELDEAN. 

